Plein Air Oil Painting for Beginners: Paint Outdoors

Meet your teacher for the course, illustrator Yo Rühmer. She explains how plein air painting has helped her explore her creativity, describes the role nature plays in her work, and shares the artists who have inspired her and continue to do so.

Begin with the basics and see the materials you need and how to set up your open-air studio. Discover how to work with oil paints and practice mixing colors with a few exercises. Next, get an introduction to the alla prima painting technique. Learn to apply color in layers and experiment with brush strokes to create a full composition. Using a reference photo, Yo also teaches you how to simplify complex scenes so you can quickly paint them and capture the moment before the light shifts.

Now it's time to head outside and paint your first plein-air work of art. Once you've found the right location and landscape, Yo guides you step by step through the painting process, showing you where to start and how to complete your composition in under a couple of hours. Finish with the finer details and focus on accurately recreating light and shadows on the canvas before taking a last look at your piece to make sure nothing is missing.

Wrap things up by photographing your artwork in situ to share on Instagram. Yo also gives you some useful tips on how to transport your still-wet painting and take it home.